Great Radio, LLC and Sound Communications, LLC have agreed to acquire the Elmira/Olean & Salamanca, NY holdings from Pembrook Pines, Elmira Limited and Pembrook Pines, Inc. for an undisclosed price.
left to right: Ray Ross, GM of Pembrook Pines/Elmira; Dick Foreman; Bill Christian, CEO of Great Radio, LLC
The 8 stations involved:
Great Radio LLC, will be acquiring the following stations from Pembrook Pines Elmira Limited:
WEHH (AM) – Elmira — Solid Gold
WELM (AM) – Elmira — Sports Talk
WOKN (FM) – Elmira (Southport) — Country
WLVY (FM) – Elmira — CHR
In the same deal, different transaction, Sound Communications, LLC is acquirng:
WOEN (AM) – Olean — Adult Standards
WMXO (FM) – Olean — Top 40
WGGO (AM) – Salamanca — Adult Standards
WQRS (FM) – Salamanca — Classic Rock/Rock
Also involved in the deal are four FM translators serving the Elmira Market.
Great Radio is controlled by four-time EMMY Award winner Bill Christian, President, Owner of WYDC-TV (Big FOX) and WJKP-LD (MyNet) in Corning, as well as five Class A TV stations in the Northeast. Sound Communications currently owns FM radio stations WENY in Elmira; WENI Big Flats; WGMM in Corning and WKPQ in Hornell, NY, as well as AM radio stations WENY and WENI in the Elmira Market. It’s Managing Member and CEO is Bettina Finn.
The seller was Richard A. Foreman, Receiver for Pembrook Pines. The deal is subject to FCC and court approval. The buyers are entering into an LMA of the stations, effective 2/1. A renewal is expected in June.
Foreman tells RBR-TVBR: “This is the fastest deal I’ve ever done in my life. From the first meeting in Elmira on January 7th, until our meeting today (1/30) was 26 days!”
